1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to a clip-like device applicable to foods which are generally eaten by hand while grasping an extension therefrom, examples including, but not limited to, spare ribs, chicken wings, and chicken legs. Specifically, the invention includes a pair of arms disposed about and attached to a compressible and/or deformable, yet resilient block-like hinge mechanism. The arms further include a handle region and a grasping region, the latter having extensions which surround, support, and secure the extension to the food clip device.
2. Background
Several holding utensils are provided in the related arts for use with food items typically eaten by hand.
Carolina, U.S. Pat. No. 7,287,791, and Durant, U.S. Pat. No. 6,494,517, describe holders for spare ribs, chicken wings, and other food items including a pair of elongated and substantially planar-shaped arms connected by a flexible joint at one end and having jaws at the other end. The arms and jaws are biased in the open position and closed to grasp a food item. The jaws do not support all sides of a food item and the flexible joint is bendable.
In another example, Romero, U.S. Pat. No. 5,709,423, describes a holder for chicken drumsticks and other food items. The holder includes a pair of jaws which are shaped and dimensioned to accommodate the fingers and thumb of a user enabling it to be manually closed. The utensil has a springy, hinge which acts to open the jaws upon release of finger pressure therefrom. The jaws have pairs of opposing rows of teeth, and the rows are outwardly curved to form a gap therebetween to accommodate the shape of the food and provide more secure gripping thereof. The jaws do not support all sides of a food item and the flexible joint is bendable.
In yet another example, Burns, U.S. Pat. No. 4,802,704, describes a spare rib holder including two oppositely disposed members pivotally joined at one end to simulate retractable jaws, the members being spring biased with respect to each other so as to normally be in open position, the free ends of both members being provided with oppositely disposed teeth for grasping a spare rib therebetween, the lower member having a ramp projecting forwardly therefrom for leading a spare rib to the jaws. Extension of the ramp beyond the jaws minimizes the length of a spare rib disposed within the jaws, thereby frustrating support along all sides of the rib section by the jaws. Furthermore, functionality of the joint is via a coiled spring which is difficult to clean after use.
In one other example, Foster et al., U.S. Pat. No. D423,305, describes a rib holder including two planar-shaped arms pivotally joined along their length by a spring joint biased in the closed position. The arms include teeth to grasp a spare rib. The arms and teeth do not support all sides of a spare rib and functionality of the joint is via a coiled spring which is difficult to clean after use.
Adequate support of a food item within a holder utensil is particularly problematic for food items which include meat covered bones.
For example, the removal of meat from a bone requires both biting and pulling actions along an infinite number of vectors. The pulling action in particular exerts a force which could move or dislodge the food item from the holder when along a direction without proper support.
Also, the clamping force exerted by a normally-closed, spring-based jaw must balance the holding capability of the device with usability, namely, the ability to be opened by the force applied by a user's hand.
Further, the clamping force exerted by a user's hand onto a normally open device with bendable hinges is limited by the strength and endurance of the user.
Accordingly, the related arts do not include a device that allows a user to securely grasp and hold a food item so as to prevent movement of the item with respect to the device as meat is torn or ripped from a bone.
Therefore, what is required is a food holder utensil which securely grasps and holds a food item so as to minimize movement of the item with respect to the device as the item is consumed.